News
Oguta Community in Imo Abolishes Long-Standing Osu/Ohu Outcast System in Landmark Move
In a significant step against entrenched social discrimination, traditional leaders in Oguta, Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State, have formally abolished the age-long Osu (also referred to as Ohu) outcast system, a cultural practice that has marginalised generations of people through stigma and exclusion.
The abolition was proclaimed on November 3, 2025 (with some reports noting the public declaration on November 2), at the Oguta Civic Centre. Chief Nduka Oduenyi, the Ogana (spokesman/assistant) to the traditional ruler of Oguta, Eze Nnani Eze-Eyiche, made the announcement on behalf of the community’s leaders, elders, youths, and women who gathered for the event.
“This is a historic moment of renewal and unity for the Oguta community,” Oduenyi stated. “The long-standing Ohu caste system — a practice widely regarded as discriminatory and inconsistent with human dignity — no longer exists in Oguta going forward.
”The Osu/Ohu system, deeply rooted in parts of Igbo culture, has historically designated certain individuals and their descendants as outcasts, limiting their social interactions, marriages, and opportunities despite previous legislative efforts at state and regional levels to end it.
The development comes nearly four years after investigative journalist and author Ejiro Umukoro drew fresh national attention to the issue through her novel *Distortion*.
The book, which weaves together themes of mental health, infertility, grief, and systemic discrimination including the Osu caste system, sparked widespread conversations across Nigeria.
Umukoro’s advocacy went beyond the pages of the novel. Through a seven-month nationwide book tour featuring television appearances, radio interviews, and community outreach, she consistently highlighted the lived experiences of those affected by the system, helping to revive dormant discussions on the topic.
This community-led abolition in Oguta is seen by many as a concrete outcome of renewed advocacy efforts, including those by Umukoro and other human rights voices, building on earlier calls for reform. It marks one of the more visible public renunciations of the practice in recent years.
The move has been welcomed by observers as a positive step toward greater social inclusion and equality in the region, though broader eradication across Igbo land would require continued efforts by traditional institutions, government, and civil society.
News
LASTMA issues traffic diversions over Kara Bridge crashes
Bakare Oki said the congestion stretched from Kara Bridge through Berger to the Secretariat axis, forcing the agency to immediately deploy personnel and recovery equipment to the scene.
•Kara Bridge inward Mowe-Ibafo in the early hours of Friday, July 24
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) on Friday advised motorists travelling from Lagos towards Mowe, Ibafo and Ogun State to divert through Ogunnusi Road, River Valley, Agidingbi and Allen Avenue before reconnecting to their destinations through Maryland or Anthony.
LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare Oki, said that the alternative routes are to ease severe gridlock caused by multiple crashes involving articulated trucks on the Kara Bridge section of the Lagos -Ibadan Expressway.
Speaking to journalists at the accident scene, he said that the first crash occurred at about 12:05 a.m. when a trailer loaded with flour overturned on Kara Bridge while heading towards Mowe, blocking the carriageway and disrupting traffic.
He said that efforts by other motorists to avoid the obstruction triggered another collision involving about six vehicles, resulting in a complete traffic lockdown on the outbound section of the expressway.
Bakare Oki said the congestion stretched from Kara Bridge through Berger to the Secretariat axis, forcing the agency to immediately deploy personnel and recovery equipment to the scene.
News
Army declares soldier wanted for alleged sale of military uniforms to terrorists
The Army announced the development in a statement issued on Thursday by the Headquarters Nigerian Army Ordnance Corps (NAOC), revealing that the soldier, attached to the Nigerian Army Ordnance Kits Factory, had been absent from his duty post since June 3, 2026.
• Mohammed Yusuf Amutu / Credit: Nigerian Army
The Nigerian Army has declared Private Mohammed Yusuf Amutu wanted over allegations that he sold military uniforms to terrorists and other criminal elements without authorisation.
The Army announced the development in a statement issued on Thursday by the Headquarters Nigerian Army Ordnance Corps (NAOC), revealing that the soldier, attached to the Nigerian Army Ordnance Kits Factory, had been absent from his duty post since June 3, 2026.
The statement, signed by the Assistant Director of Army Public Relations at the NAOC Headquarters, Major Oluwatope Dorcas Aluko, said that initial findings linked Amutu to the alleged illegal sale and distribution of military uniforms.
It stated that the appropriate military authorities had declared the soldier wanted and were working to locate and arrest him for further investigation.
The Army added that appropriate disciplinary action would be taken in line with military regulations if the allegations are proven
News
IGP declares operation 14-day to flush out criminals in Benue
Disu made the declaration the previous day during a town hall meeting on security in Makurdi, attended by Governor Hyacinth Alia, the Tor Tiv, Prof. James Ayatse, religious leaders, traditional rulers, security chiefs and other stakeholders.
•Olatunji Disu
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, has a special 14-day security operation to flush out criminal elements from identified flashpoints across Benue.
The vulnerable areas include Gbajimba, Agasha, Kwande, Agatu, Naka, Otukpo, Makurdi, Apa and other communities mapped for intensive surveillance.
Disu made the declaration the previous day during a town hall meeting on security in Makurdi, attended by Governor Hyacinth Alia, the Tor Tiv, Prof. James Ayatse, religious leaders, traditional rulers, security chiefs and other stakeholders.
The IGP described the security situation in Benue as a source of “sleepless nights” for both residents and security agencies.
He decried that the state, once renowned for peace and hospitality, had become engulfed by violence.
According to him, the crisis has evolved beyond farmer-herder clashes, with kidnappers, armed gangs and political interests aggravating the insecurity.
Disu urged youths not to allow themselves to be recruited by influential individuals to perpetrate violence, particularly during elections.
LASTMA issues traffic diversions over Kara Bridge crashes
Army declares soldier wanted for alleged sale of military uniforms to terrorists
IGP declares operation 14-day to flush out criminals in Benue
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